Photo: Audi
Once considered extremely unpleasant to drive, three-cylinder engines have now become widespread, partly due to emissions regulations, but also to technological advancements and engine modularity. Not surprisingly, the first of the current generation Audis with 3-bangers are the smallest, the A1 and A3. Details are not available at the moment, but it appears both models could receive changes in the coming years.
Speaking to Auto Express at the Beijing Auto Show, Audi CEO Rupert Sadler said that the three-cylinder philosophy will not only be present, but will actually dominated the engine range: “In the A1 and the A3, the three-cylinder will be a standard engine in the future, for sure. It gives a good feeling and plenty of torque.
The first of the two to cut a cylinder will be the A1, which is due for a facelift later this year. Being based on the same platform as the VW Polo, it's relatively easy to figure out which engines will be offered in the supermini. A new 1-liter TSI turbo has just been developed and is engineered for efficiency. Producing 90 PS, this might go into an A1 ultra model.
Another new engine just launched on the 2014 Polo is a 1.4-liter TDI, which replaces the old 1.2-liter TDI three-cylinder and the 90 version of the 1.6 TDI. The 1.2 was never offered with the A1, but the 1.6 is the fitted to the cheapest diesel model.
It's yet unclear when the A3 will get a three-cylinder engine, but changes should be ready or the Mk3's mid-life update, probably somewhere in 2016.
The first of the two to cut a cylinder will be the A1, which is due for a facelift later this year. Being based on the same platform as the VW Polo, it's relatively easy to figure out which engines will be offered in the supermini. A new 1-liter TSI turbo has just been developed and is engineered for efficiency. Producing 90 PS, this might go into an A1 ultra model.
Another new engine just launched on the 2014 Polo is a 1.4-liter TDI, which replaces the old 1.2-liter TDI three-cylinder and the 90 version of the 1.6 TDI. The 1.2 was never offered with the A1, but the 1.6 is the fitted to the cheapest diesel model.
It's yet unclear when the A3 will get a three-cylinder engine, but changes should be ready or the Mk3's mid-life update, probably somewhere in 2016.
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